Petunia and Dudley's stay at Malfoy Manor
by Lara Hillins
Summary: While escaping the hatred found in the wizarding world since the war Lucius comes across Privet Drive and hear, then joins in with an argument happening between Vernon and Harry Potter which reveals some shocking revelations to him and causes Petunia and Dudley to stay at Malfoy Manor for a while.
1. The Argument with Vernon

Lucius was ranting and skulking around some muggle town he'd forgotten the name of as he tried to avoid being discovered.

At least here it looked like the muggles had some sense of appearance, if their gardens were proof of the matter at least.

Up ahead there seemed to be some sort of argument happening in one of the houses. Lucius couldn't help moving closer, thankful he was one of the few wizards who knew how to dress suitably for muggle areas.

"I don't care what you were doing, Harry. Moving your relatives back home should have happened sooner than this." A man's voice thundered.

"Oh you've learnt my name in the last year? That's a nice change, and sorry for having more important things to deal with than relatives who hate me and are terrified of anything to do with my world." That voice was almost certainly Harry Potter's. Lucius just moved nearer drawn by curiosity at the argument the saviour was in .

"Vernon, please. We're back home now. Can you stop this already? The people staying with us over the last year were really nice after all." A woman's voice pleaded, apparently to the thundering man.

"NICE! They Were Freaks! Corrupting our Dudley and you call them NICE?" Lucius was close enough to glance in the window slightly, seeing a fairly short fat man with a walrus moustache turning purple in rage as he rounded on a tall thin woman, now shaking in fear of the man who Lucius guessed was her husband.

"They were protecting us, in case that evil guy, erm..."

"Voldemort." Harry put in simply.

"Decided to go after us as Harry's family." The woman protested, still trying to defend herself against the man.

Lucius decided to make his presence known, as he moved through the open door, apparently left open by mistake during the argument. "Excuse me, can I ask what the shouting is about? I heard it from down the street and wondered if there was something I could help with." He asked smoothly, wanting to defend the woman from the brute before him but keeping the Malfoy coolness and manners in place impeccably.

Recognition flashed in Harry's eyes when the three people inside the house turned to look at him. The woman and Vernon stared for a moment, apparently hoping that they hadn't just been caught arguing by someone passing on the street. "Lord Malfoy, I didn't know you were in Little Whinging currently." Harry said after a moment, changing the title Lucius deserved in such a way it shocked the blonde, almost as much as it left the brute scrambling for his manners.

"Oh, I'm sorry for the disturbance sir, there has just been a slight disagreement between my wife's nephew and I. We must have raised our voices without realising it." The fat man said quickly after the identification of the stranger. "I'm Vernon Dursley, This is my wife, Petunia, and her nephew Harry Potter."

"Mr Potter, I was just wishing to avoid being made an example of by some righteous folk who still argue with the verdict shared by the court. I believe I have yet to thank you for enabling my family to remain as free as we are, although my son and wife assure me that they have done for all of us." Lucius refused to acknowledge the man who had been displaying a tendency to near violence in his bid for power over his family no less.

Harry nodded calmly. "It was not because of you I did it. You should thank your wife and son for having a bravery and loyalty to their family I have yet to see you display." He replied, knowing at least Aunt Petunia would understand they were talking about war crimes happening. "I had hoped that your necessary presence in the muggle world might provide a better view of them but this scene cannot have helped changed any views you had of them."

Lucius smiled at that remark, unable to help feel that other things he had seen during his time working in a muggle factory and the friendships made there gave a better view of the muggle world than a scene found in the more upper class area of a village.

"I assume your aunt is your mother's sister?" Lucius asked, only waiting for Harry's nod before turning to the woman. "Your sister was amazing during our time at school, I can see her gift for changing her views based on new experiences is found within you as well."

Petunia blushed a little. "You are mistaken sir. It takes a lot of time and a shock for me to be able to change my views."

"Now Excuse me Sir. I won't have such freakish talk in my house." Vernon half yelled at the trio now chatting in front of him, deciding clearly that introduced as a Lord or not nobody with magic should talk about it in his house. Lucius barely glanced at him before working out what was meant by freakish talk.

"So you won't have me talk about something which could take your life in a moment and would have done had you and your family not been put into hiding? In fact from what I've heard you were already paying the price of too much attention from dark magic before you were sent into hiding and protected by the order." Lucius said coolly, noticing Harry and Petunia weren't arguing for either side now, apparently realising he could handle Vernon easily enough. "I might even have been one of the group sent to murder you, and you have no house elves ready to defend you from the killing curse either, which is such a shame since that was the first lesson a disagreement with Harry taught me. Arguing with house elves and trying to kill their friends is a bad idea." Lucius heard Potter snicker a little at the allusion to Dobby's defence of him. "Would you have preferred that? A quick death, two words and a blinding flash of green light which leaves no trace for the muggles to account as a cause of death. I am sure we could arrange that for you now if you are so offended by the protection which stopped something like that happening."

Lucius' tone was still cool but Vernon has visibly paled and shrunk backwards from the blonde gentleman. Still he tried to protest. "Nobody would think to do that. We hate Harry so why would killing us do anything to weaken him?"

Harry moved to stand beside Lucius, disliking his uncle for the control but also for the fact he'd turned against his wife for choosing to befriend their defenders instead of strop at them. "But this was a mad man I was up against, who knows what he might have done. What might be undetectable until a cupboard is opened specifically by you. Who would know my relatives hate magic? Certainly nobody who hates me or hates muggles would know, not unless they stumbled across a scene like this one. Right Lucius?" Harry asked, helping to make the point to Vernon, to Lucius' surprise.

"Apparently so, do your friends even know how controlling your uncle can be if that scene is anything to go by or not?" Lucius agreed.

"I think he's gotten worse if anything in the last year. I've already been told off for moving them back using magic, not telling them the war was over as soon as Voldemort was dead and letting Dudley spend so long around magic that he now doesn't bat an eyelid when someone does a spell. You interrupted the one that would have been about corrupting his wife into being friends with 'those freaks'." Harry explained calmly, going so far as to turn mostly away from Vernon except with his eyes still on him just in case.

Petunia smiled a little shakily. "Thank you for interrupting that one. Being told off by Vernon tends to end up with broken bones unless he's scared of magic and turning from Harry to me over my befriending Hestia and Dedalus was likely to happen." She spoke up, apparently more comfortable to speak to Lucius and Harry now they were between her husband and herself.

Lucius' expression darkened. "He's broken your bones before?" He only just managed to growl out instead of turning to hex the man.

Harry frowned between the other three people there, but Lucius could tell he was not wanting to interrupt though.

"Only a couple of times when the arguments got too bad over the last year, like when Hestia asked for my help in the kitchen and I was happy to do something at least half way normally, or when Dudley was asking Dedalus what non-verbal spell turned someone into a pig, apparently curious about what that giant had tried to do when he picked Harry up to get Hogwarts supplies and deliver his letter and over his fear of magic." Petunia said quietly, noticing the glare she was getting from her currently ignored husband.

"YOU WILL NOT SPEAK AS IF I'M NOT HERE IN MY OWN HOME! ESPECIALLY QUESTIONNING MY WIFE!" Lucius turned a furious expression on the man at the yell, taking a moment to wonder how far away that yell would have been heard. At least 3 streets he thought.

However when Lucius spoke after glaring for a moment his voice was utterly calm, as though somebody had frozen it into ice. The people he didn't know always thought it meant he wasn't too mad at them and wouldn't cause them pain. "I won't for much longer, but there are still some questions that need answering." Lucius said quietly, turning away as though dismissing the brute again. "Petunia, you shouldn't have had to go through that, especially when you were already in hiding. Would you care to come and stay at the Malfoy Manor with your son for a while to clear your mind from the oppression which appears to be happening with your husband?" He offered the lady calmly, noticing Harry was still staring at his uncle.

Petunia visibly blushed, but seemed to be contemplating the idea when Harry spoke in barely more than a whisper now. "I thought that memory had been a nightmare, but I'm the reason you won't hit me or anyone else with magic, aren't I? I was five years old and you hit me because I was gardening wrong and Aunt Petunia was looking after Dudley inside. Then all the lights exploded, and somehow the plant in my hands fell on top of your head without me knowing how it got there."

Lucius had hated the man for shouting at his wife and acting like such a brute since he stumbled upon the scene in the house, and the hatred had grown with the prejudice he had against magic being pointed out but now it was pure unadultered loathing which Lucius Malfoy felt for the muggle mudblood, even worse than the loathing he'd felt upon hearing Voldemort had used his son for such a dangerous task as killing Dumbledore. He could accept a lot of truths since being made to work with muggles, like the fact they are real people but he would always believe that people with magic were better than muggles if only so slightly. He could also understand that people can change, but a muggle such as Vernon Dursley was set in stone almost. His prejudices weren't from fear, not entirely, because the fear added precautions; they were from hatred of something he couldn't deny which didn't fit to his realm of sense.

"Can I change my request to a demand that you at least get away from this man if only for a while, whether you and your son stay at my manor or elsewhere?" Lucius asked politely, using all his Malfoy cool to refrain from actually hexing the whale behind him at the news which he was hearing.

Petunia nodded slightly, smiling only a little at the blonde wizard before her. "I don't know where else we could currently go without him following us, so if I could get my son and come to stay with you for a while, we'd be immensely grateful." She replied, a little shakily, knowing that she was leaving the husband she'd married at least twenty years before.

"WHAT?" Vernon bellowed at his wives remark, but silenced himself quickly after a glare from Lucius and the twitching of the cane in his hand.

Harry nodded between his aunt and Lucius. "I guess it's time to make friends with Draco properly, if he's going to be around Dudley for any amount of time. I don't want those two deciding they hate me again while they're staying in the same place." He muttered dryly to himself, but easily heard by Lucius.

"I think Draco would be quite happy with that. You're free to visit the manor whenever you like while your aunt and cousin are staying there. Shall we go and find Dudley while Petunia sorts out the bags and things they want to take with them?" Lucius suggested, stupefying Vernon as he spoke, just to prevent any more shouting and trouble.

Harry grinned at him, nodding, apparently deciding that the situation was now more good than confusing. "If that's alright with Aunt Petunia then we can do that. Dudley's at his friends house and gave me the address in case we needed to fetch him." He agreed, pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket, thankful that it was a new friend Dudley had met during their year in hiding where he'd gone to a different school to keep his education up.

"Make sure his friend knows how to contact us still, even if we'll be in a wizarding home." Petunia added quietly, letting the two men go as she routed through the boxes, and pulled the two suitcases with her clothes and Dudley's clothes in to the hallway.


	2. At Dudley's Friends

Apparating to an alley near to the address Harry had, Lucius and Harry gave each other looks which reflected just how surreal they were both finding it to suddenly be working together in helping Harry's relatives.

"This is weird." Harry muttered, pausing to think before moving at all. "And we should really tell Narcissa and Draco that you're going to have guests before just turning up with them."

"How do you plan to do that? Our house elves got rehomed by the ministry and any other way to send messages will get noticed by the muggles." Lucius argued turning to Harry.

Harry looked thoughtful. "I wondered why I suddenly had the ministry insisting I needed more house elves. I think a lot of yours got given to me by force. Anyway, I'll send Kreacher over for now and get the others to you as soon as I can, except for Dippy, and Winky. Those two were friends of Dobby's and like working for the guy who Dobby worshipped. Yes I know Winky was Fudge's, not yours." Harry decided, thinking quickly over what he could do to help the Malfoy's deal with their after the war punishment.

"You're giving us back the house elves?" Lucius asked, disbelievingly.

"No, because then the ministry will just claim them back. They belong to my family though, so they'll work for Aunt Petunia and Dudley. If anyone at the ministry argues with them being in your house and helping you, the house elves I mean, send them to talk to me. Keep Dudley and Aunt Petunia's presence as quiet as you can, particularly from my friends." Harry grinned at Lucius' questioning expression but didn't answer the silent question. "KREACHER!" he then yelled.

The house elf appeared before Harry, bowing respectfully, with the locket brushing the floor. "Yes Master Harry, what can I do for you?" Kreacher asked.

"I need to get a message to Narcissa and Draco Malfoy. They are going to be recieving my aunt and cousin as guests for an as yet unknown amount of time. Lucius has approved the plan and was the first to suggest it, which they should also be told. Also please tell Draco that however much Dudley might happily insult me all day long I'd rather that wasn't why they got along, since I'm going to at least attempt to befriend both of them."

"Yes, Master Harry. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Harry sighed, "Check the other elves haven't been punishing themselves, and tend any injuries if they have." He decided, before grinning at his elf. "You're going to be helping the remaining members of the Black family by helping the Malfoy's with what they need as well, so please stay with them after making sure the other elves are well enough."

"I will Master. Goodbye." Kreacher was gone with a deep bow and a smile at Harry which managed to shock Lucius.

"I've never seen an elf smile like that before." He muttered, but heading in the direction he'd worked out the house they were looking for was in. "Let's go and find Dudley."

"They smile like that when you're nice to them, give them something they want, like freedom for Dobby or a family heirloom for Kreacher and don't beat or threaten them. Dudley didn't leave a name for who his friend was." Harry replied, matching Lucius's pace easily as they approached the house which looked quite well off.

Lucius simply nodded, before knocking on the door.

"Coming. Dennis, calm down and be quiet in whatever games you're playing." A woman's voice called, getting louder as she moved towards the door. "Hi, how can I help you?" The door was opened by a fairly short, frazzled looking woman with straw coloured hair.

Harry stepped forward. "Erm, Hi. I'm looking for my cousin, Dudley and he said he'd be around here. Can we come in?" He asked politely, but his eyes flickered with recognition as he saw the face of Mrs Creevey after meeting her at Colin's funeral.

"Harry Potter? You're Dudley's cousin? And who's your friend?" The woman gasped, ushering them into the lounge, seemingly dazed by Harry's appearance.

Harry smiled a little. "Yes, I'm Dudley's cousin, and this is Lucius Malfoy, but please don't worry over anything you might have heard to be negative about the Malfoy's from your sons. Currently he is helping me out, which is why we need to find Dudley. I hadn't realised your sons were one of the few who the order provided a school for during their year of hiding."

"I'll just fetch the boys then." She replied, smiling only a little, before hurrying out of the room. "Dudley! Dennis! Can you come downstairs for a moment?"

Lucius took the pause to look around the room, noticing a small photo of Harry in one corner, easily overlooked, but signed in one corner. "Why give them that?" He asked quietly, staring now at the large picture on the mantle piece of a boy who looked to be about 16.

"Their eldest always wanted one, but died for me in battle before I could give him one. I'd thought they'd been at Hogwarts during that year during the battle but they couldn't have been since they're muggle-borns." Harry replied, nearly whispering, with tears sparkling in his eyes at the memory of the young Colin Creevey.

Both men turned their attention to the yelled conversation happening outside the room. "Why? We're just at the best part of the game. Dennis has managed to make monopoly a million times more interesting with this spell he found." Dudley's voice came down the stairs, making Harry chuckle a little.

"A cousin or something of yours has come looking for you. I think it's important."

"Can't Harry wait till we finish our game?" Came Dudley's petulant yell.

Harry had walked over to the door and decided to join in the conversation. "Why don't you bring it downstairs? I'd love to see Dennis again, and you really do need to be filled in on what's actually happening since there's been a change of plan today." He yelled, grinning and waving when Dudley and the younger boy appeared at the top of the stairs. "Levitate it down Dennis. I know you have one of the most reliable levitating charms in your year."

"Harry Potter is your cousin?" Dennis whispered urgently as he walked down the stairs behind Dudley and the monopoly board a few moments later.

Dudley was carrying their money and property cards, and hissed back, "Yes, and meant to be helping mum and dad move back to privet drive today."

Harry was still stood in the doorway, and stopped Dennis before he got into the lounge. "I know the pasts of the Malfoy's are a sore point for you, but please don't hold it against Lucius. He's helping me right now, and my aunt. That's why we're here." He said quietly, while Dudley demanded to know who the blonde skinny guy was.

"Lucius Malfoy, pleased to meet another relative of Harry Potter's." Lucius answered, cordially enough, just as Dennis gave a nod of understanding and followed Harry into the room, setting the board game down on the carpet easily enough. "And this is Dennis Creevey. My son has mentioned how brave your brother was in sneaking back to fight for the right reasons where he couldn't, even if throwing oneself into battle is still something I hope no Malfoy will do should there be a high chance of their death." He added turning to hold his hand out to Dennis in a gesture of respect

"That's a shock. I always got the idea that Draco hated my brother and I, Mr Malfoy." Dennis managed to reply slowly, not quite believing his ears.

Lucius smiled, a slight small smile of a parent who had seen the mistakes he'd made towards his son be painfully corrected in a bad way. "I'll just say that a lot of our views have changed since the end of the war, in fact they changed dramatically even while in the war."

Harry looked at them carefully for a few moments, letting them come to a silent understanding as Dudley pointed out the ways Dennis had enchanted the monopoly board.

"...And if we had the space big enough, like a field then it could even be possible to make a version where we play it in real life each week, keeping the land that we own to do with as we pleased on, even erecting buildings, although that would only work for people with magic and not muggles like I am." Dudley finished the explanation of how the magic could be added happily a few minutes after Dennis and Lucius had sat down on the other sofa to Harry and Mrs Creevey.

Harry grinned in amusement at the change in his cousin. Never had Harry expected to find his cousin excited by anything magic, but now it just seemed to be something he spoke about without thinking. "Would you like to tell me about your year under the Order's protection or shall I tell you what's changed in where you're staying?" Harry suggested, knowing he needed to say something soon and guessing Dudley had forgotten he had actually been playing the game he was ranting about.

"Yeah, what's changed with where Dudley's going to stay? I thought he was moving back to the house they were in before going into hiding." Dennis asked, before Dudley had a chance to choose.

"I got into a bit of an argument with Uncle Vernon which Petunia joined in with on my side. During the argument Lucius got involved through over hearing it since we were shouting quite loudly and his manners demanded he defend Aunt Petunia once Vernon turned a little too threatening." Harry began, focusing on Dudley even though Dennis had asked the question.

Dudley had visibly paled at the last part of the sentence, clearly worried. "Is Mum alright? Dad got a bit, erm, hands on in arguments over the year when we started becoming interested and friends with Hestia and Dedalus." He checked, quietly, biting his lip.

"By the point he would have tried Mr Potter and myself were stood between the whale and his wife. Also it was about then when Petunia actually mentioned his use of violence towards herself and you. Hence why we are changing the arrangements of where you and your mother are staying until we can secure the house back from the whale." Lucius coolly cut in, certain from Harry's expression that allowing him to talk about the abuse which his uncle seemed prone too would not be a sensible idea.

"Where are we staying then? And does that mean Mum is going to divorce Dad or just separate from him for a while?" Dudley asked, his concern fading with the knowledge Petunia was definitely safe.

"You're staying with Lucius, his wife Narcissa and his son Draco in Malfoy Manor for as long as is needed to keep you safe. It's for your mother to decide if she divorces Uncle Vernon, and I'll try my best to stay in touch with you as well." Harry answered, forcing his expression to stay serious as he tried to imagine Dudley living so close to Draco. The 2 biggest tormentors of his childhood now set to live in the same house with Harry visiting a lot.

Dudley nodded, pausing to think and glancing around the Creevey's living room.

"There's no TV because magic and technology doesn't mix well." Dennis said quickly, blushing slightly. "Mixing my brother and me arguing as children with accidental magic and mum gave up with televisions while dad explained it was getting too expensive to keep replacing them. My guess is the Malfoy's have never ever thought of looking at muggle technology let alone have any in their house."

Harry snorted. "Lucius do you think we could try to fix that? Dudley could probably quote a TV guide from memory and that isn't an exaggeration. He could when I was eleven why should that have changed in the time we've spent growing up?" He asked, teasing Dudley a little.

"I'll see what we can do. Some of the guys I have to work with enjoy a few shows. I think the ones mentioned most often are Doctor Who, CSI and cooking shows." Lucius replied, who had truthfully wondered what his muggle colleagues were talking about.

Dudley nodded grinning widely. "When can we go? Once we've got TV sorted this manor sounds amazing, and you definitely need introducing to Doctor Who. All of the wizarding world fails to beat the Doctor's TARDIS, hands down."

"If the Creevey's don't mind we'll go and pick up Aunt Petunia and head over there straight away. Although I have one thing I've already asked of Lucius's son, to ask you." Harry made the spilt second decision to ask Dudley the same thing his message had asked Draco.

"What is it?"

"Please do not, however much you or he might enjoy it, become friends over insulting me." Harry grinned when Dudley looked blank at that request.

"Umm, sure. I guess I can manage that, but it does make me curious over who this Draco is." Dudley agreed, looking curious.

Lucius had stood up again, walking towards the door, "Well then, Shall we go? Or should I go and pick Petunia and your luggage up while Harry takes you straight to the manor?" He asked.

"Can I go straight to the manor please? Avoiding Dad whether you'd knocked him out before leaving or not is something I'd prefer to avoid" Dudley asked.

Harry raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Lucius.

"Apparate to the gates, I'd expect Narcissa or Draco to be waiting to let you in if not both of them, after the message Kreacher took." Lucius explained, disapparating once he'd finished speaking, with a bow to Mrs Creevey and a nod to Dennis.

"That was quick." Dennis muttered. "So does this mean Dudley is leaving now?"

Dudley shrugged, "I guess so, it also means that you might be more able to practise duelling in the manor grounds than you can here."

"Agreed if I can visit the manor to see you." Dennis looked enthusiastic, but not too hopeful of being able to.

"I'll see whether I can convince them to allow it. Come on Dudley, I need to introduce you to your first purebloods as far as I'm aware. We'll see you soon Dennis, Mrs Creevey. Please pass on my best wishes to Mr Creevey as well." Harry decided, knowing he could promise only to try and gain Dennis access to the manor, however accomodating the Malfoy head had seemed so far.

"Don't be a stranger Harry, and you're still expected for lunch and tea next week Dudley." Mrs Creevey said, smiling at the boys in a motherly way.

Dennis jumped up to shake Harry's hand and pat Dudley on the back. "Thanks for visiting, we'll see you soon."

"I'll see you next week if I can't see you before then." Dudley agreed, leaving the house just behind Harry.

Harry gripped Dudley's arm and apparated them away with one last wave back at the Creevey's watching from the doorway.


	3. Arriving at the Manor

Dudley groaned and swayed on his feet a little as they landed, but managed to stop himself from getting sick. He was never going to get used to being apparated around but at least he could stop throwing up because of it.

Harry steadied him with one hand, looking straight towards the gates of the manor with the other. the last time he'd seen them was during the war, and he was thankful that this time the circumstances were a lot nicer. "Come on Dudley, let's see if someone will let us in." He muttered, still supporting his cousin as they walked the last few meters to the gates.

"Hello?" Harry called through the wards, now able to see Draco standing nearby.

Draco turned straight away, lowering the wards and opening the gate with a wave of his wand. "Hi Potter, is this your cousin? Interesting message by the way." There was some tension in the exaggerated cheerfulness of their welcome, and when Harry got a look in his eyes there was a lot of confusion there too.

"I prefer to warn childhood tormentors to refrain from making friends because of that similarity. You both got the same warning. Lucius should be back soon unless Uncle Vernon is causing more trouble. Can we leave covering all the questions until he and my aunt get here or is that too much to ask?" Harry explained quickly, letting go of Dudley when he seemed over the apparation. "Dudley, this is Draco Malfoy, one of the family you are going to be staying with. Draco, this is my cousin Dudley Dursley."

"That still tells me nothing about why we'd make friends by insulting you. Tell me who he is." Dudley sulked, frowning at Harry.

"I'm his rival from school, and apparently now his to be redeemed friend. And No Potter we can't leave the questions till Father gets back." Draco introduced his role as he shook hands with Dudley. "What happened for Father to suggest such a thing as this? Also was that your house elf from somewhere else? I thought you already had all of ours."

"Straight into the family stuff then. Strange I spend all my life hiding the Dursley's from the wizarding world and in one day the Malfoy's decide 'to hell with that, let's bring Potter's childhood into the news again'. If that happens over anything that you learn from my aunt or cousin then you will learn the meaning of troublesome connection you cannot escape. Understood?" Harry demanded, already decided that he would do all that he could to keep Dudley and Petunia out of the public eye of the wizarding world. His relatives only had the barest idea of Harry's importance in the war and that was how he thought it should stay, especially while the mess with Uncle Vernon was sorted out.

Draco did a mock salute. "Understood Sir! Now answer my questions already, Sir!"

"The short explanation is Lucius found Privet Drive while he was staying out of the wizarding worlds way keeping to muggle areas, at the same time as I was helping Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia to move back into their house. Or rather I was getting yelled at for not thinking 'That's Voldemort dead, not let's move the relatives back home' and yelling back explanations in an attempt to shut Uncle Vernon up. Aunt Petunia had just become the victim of Uncle Vernon's rants when your father decided to make his presence known and join in the argument. A lot more shouting, and a few revelations later and Lucius decided that he couldn't leave Aunt Petunia around the fat lump any longer and offered to let her and my cousin stay here for a while." Harry paused after that explanation, thinking over the next thing Draco had asked.

"Kreacher was the first house elf I got, and I inherited him from Sirius along with the Black fortune. He's also the one that has most knowledge in healing out of the house elves so if I need a message relaying I call him and get the punishments the other elves have inflicted on themselves tended at the same time." Harry explained quickly. "Which means you'll likely see him around a lot once I've had a chance to head home for a few minutes. The house elves that were yours will be returning for a while, although remain under my control, purely so that the ministry cannot get rid of them of course."

"Of course, It has nothing to do with the fact you'll be able to use them to spy on what happens in the manor if you choose." Draco agreed, a smirk forming on his face.

Harry laughed, "Nothing at all, unless you two do decide to plot against me, then any plots and pranks will find their targets reversed quite quickly. By all means prank yourselves though."

"What are house elves again? Are they like that weird wailing thing that Dumbledore produced when he was fetching you for six year?" Dudley asked, looking confused.

Harry thought for a moment. "It wasn't my fault Kreacher hated me back then. Blame Bellatrix or Narcissa... Perhaps Sirius might be to blame as well." He muttered with a small grin, "Yeah that was Kreacher, but he's a lot nicer now, at least most of the time. He hates Hermione though, but most house elves hate her after she's done her usual slavery talk."

"Okay, so he doesn't wail anymore?" Dudley confirmed.

"Is that all you remember of him? I'll introduce you in a moment." Harry commented, a glance at Draco revealing he'd heard the comment about his Mother, Aunt and second cousin by his curious expression. "I'll explain a bit more about what they have to do with Kreacher later"

It was at that moment that Narcissa decided to make an appearance. "Draco! Has Lucius got back yet? Or Harry and his relatives?" She called coming into the garden before stopping when she spotted Harry, Dudley and Draco stood together.

"Yes Mother, Harry and his cousin Dudley have arrived but we haven't covered where Father is yet." Draco responded quickly, leading Harry and Dudley towards the house which Narcissa was now stood in front of.

"He said he was going to fetch Mum and our things before he left the Creevey's, but he wasn't sure if Dad would be awake to cause more trouble when he got there." Dudley remembered, speaking before Harry could.

"Dad?" Narcissa asked, her gaze peircing as it landed on Harry's cousin.

Dudley shrugged. "I was with Dennis Creevey when this was decided so don't know what happened, but Dad is not the nicest of people and has more than a bit of hatred towards magic. That only got worse while we were in hiding because Mum and me became friends with Hestia and Dedalus and the kids in that school they put together for kids who thought they'd need to hide. We were moving back home today, or Harry was helping Mum and Dad move while I spent the day with Dennis. All I've gotten so far is that Dad was arguing with Harry when Mr Malfoy found them and turned onto Mum. Dad ended up knocked out somehow as well I think."

"Stupefied." Harry amended. "Lucius got bored of a new revelation turning up everytime we'd just about decided what was happening I think. Well that and giving Aunt Petunia at least some time to get her things and pack before Vernon decided to turn on her over the argument while we fetched Dudley."

"How long ago was it that Lucius left you to fetch your aunt? I'd have thought he'd be here with everything by now." Narcissa asked, looking only slightly worried and disturbed by the insinuations of what had happened at Privet Drive while her calm mask stayed in place. It didn't take much nowadays for Lucius' manners to take over and from what had been described it appeared he was treating Harry's aunt as a damsel in distress.

Harry thought for a moment. "About twenty minutes ago, so he should definitely be back, even if Uncle Vernon was awake when he got back. Unless something has happened to Aunt Petunia." He replied, noticing Draco bristle and Narcissa pale, while Dudley only looked worried. "Kreacher!"

"Yes Master Harry. What can Kreacher do for you?" The house elf asked appearing straight away.

"Are the other elves all healed? Do you know much healling for humans?" Harry asked urgently, taking Dudley's reaction as the bad sign it was.

"I got all the other elves treated just a moment ago, and Mistress Black insisted on all house elves knowing basic healing for humans. Who needs healing?" Kreacher replied quickly, picking up on his masters distress.

"Find Lucius Malfoy and my Aunt. I think something might have happened to Aunt Petunia which makes it unsafe to move her. Do any healling to get her stable you can, then fetch Healer Granger here. Tell Lucius to bring Aunt Petunia to the manor as soon as she is stable enough to move via magic." Harry ordered, well aware that the injuries must be severe to prevent Lucius getting his Aunt to the manor.

Kreacher simply bowed and popped away.

Dudley sighed. "You're right. He does get along with you better now. It isn't as disturbing as the wailing about serving ... who was it he was yelling about being his mistress instead of you?"

"Miss Bella I expect. She was the eldest Black left, and Bellatrix Lestrange really would have been bad for Kreacher to join." Harry muttered, turning to face the Malfoy's. "Is there somewhere for Aunt Petunia to stay if she is injured enough to delay Lucius returning with her? And I hope it was alright for me to ask for Hermione to come. She's the most trustworthy Healer I know that won't use strange cures like Luna tends to."

"There are rooms already arranged for your Aunt and cousin. I just finished them before coming out, and as long as Healer Granger doesn't mind returning to a place where she was tortured during the war then she is welcome here to heal your family." Narcissa replied, still looking more than a little shocked by the apparently severe injuries Harry and Dudley thought Petunia has sustained. "Are you sure this is so urgent?"

Harry stared at her, wanting to be in action but with nothing he could do to help. "An hour ago I found out the reason I never got hit by my uncle as a child was because when he tried my magic blew all the lights in the house, a scene I thought was a dream brought on by fear he would hit me. I've witnessed in the last two hours him attempt to attack my aunt, try intimidating myself and Lucius as well as shouting loud enough that the neighbours will be scared to approach for a week because he shouted threats and insults mostly. I've heard of him injuring Aunt Petunia simply because she helped the witch who was guarding them with cooking even when some magic was used. I've been told of there being trouble because Dudley had the sense to make friends with Dennis and Colin Creevey. You tell me, is there urgency when Lucius is delayed in fetching Aunt Petunia?"

"Point made Potter. Maybe we should go inside now then and calm down while we wait either for a message from Father or for them to arrive." Draco sugested, shocked by what Harry had just revealed about life at the Dursley's and deciding that getting Harry to direct the tension, which was obviously running through him, at his school boy rival if he couldn't get rid of it.

Harry turned and stalked towards the house, not wanting to argue but wanting to know what had happened already which kept him on edge and antsy. The two purebloods and muggle followed behind him quietly, each thinking over what Harry had said.


	4. Petunia's Injuries

Dudley had only been in the entrance hall for a minute when he felt the air shifting around them even though the doors were now firmly shut and he couldn't see any other source of the disturbance. He reckoned it was some magical shift when none of the others showed any notice to what was happening, either because they were used to it or were expecting it to happen. Still unused to the feel of such a large shift he put a hand on Harry's arm.

Harry looked at his cousin sharply, not having noticed anything to cause alarm, before remembering Hermione mention something about her parents mentioning a shift in the air every time somebody apparated in and wondering if muggles who knew about magic were more sensitive to the signs or if people who were around magic just became desensitised to the signs apparition was happening. "Relax, something in magic prevents landing on top of a person unless two unrelated parties are apparating to the same place at exactly the same time. We'll worry about Aunt Petunia when she arrives and we know how bad she is." He murmured as Lucius, Petunia and two crammed suitcases appeared in front of them.

Petunia was in Lucius' arms when they landed, with his hands holding the suitcases which were promptly dropped as he turned looking for the Lady of the house. "Narcissa, where's there room for her? And get a healer here quickly!" He cried, spotting his wife before turning and hurrying down the hall way.

Dudley was shocked to see Harry and Draco both grabbing the suitcases and following after Lucius, as though emergencies like that happened every day, even as Narcissa called, "The Princess room is set up for Petunia, and Harry sent his house elf to fetch Healer Granger once he'd gotten Petunia into a state where she could be transported."

"You have a talented elf Potter, healed the slices that seemed to have been done by a knife, and did something to her lungs to prevent the puncture from getting worse while I brought her here. Couldn't do anything for broken bones though, apparently house elves can heal their own broken bones and don't need it and Walburga never thought it necessary." Lucius commented, lying the injured woman down on a large four poster bed in a room of dark purples and blues as the others followed him in.

"Thank you. I'll go and wait for Hermione now." Harry replied, calm now he knew the extent of the damage and turned to leave. At the door however he turned back, "You can tell us all what happened to Uncle Vernon later. I hope you stuck to spells which can be set to lie dormant so I don't have to pull favours to keep you from trouble."

Lucius nodded, "Of course. I hope your elf gets Healer Granger here quickly."

"So do I." Was the last they heard from Harry as he disappeared.

Dudley sat on a seat that had been moved to be beside the bed without him noticing and held his mother's hand, knowing his dad had gone further than he ever had before and watched as Narcissa moved forward, casting the few healing spells she knew to repair the broken bones after setting them properly.

Back in the entrance hall Harry was pacing, impatient to get his aunt treated by a proficient healer and back arguing and spoiling Dudley. He knew Kreacher would get Hermione there, but if he'd manage it without a long argument with Hermione before that Harry couldn't know.

"You're not dragging me anywhere without a rea... HARRY!" Hermione was protesting when she spotted Harry, apparently having been apparated while mid-rant by the house elf. "What are you doing sending your house elf to drag me here of all places?" She demanded.

"Doing the best I can to get the help needed as quickly and efficiently as possible. Uncle Vernon attacked Aunt Petunia. Kreacher and most likely Narcissa have done what they can but we need you to make sure she'll live and be back on her feet sooner rather than later." Harry explained quickly, hoping that Hermione's curiosity about why they were at the manor would wait until Petunia was stable.

"Why here?" Hermione demanded, just before walking into the room, where Narcissa was still struggling with her knowledge of healing and Draco seemed to be comforting Dudley as they sat near the bed.

"Look Harry's best friend is one of the best healers around according to the St Mungo's reports. If she's helping your mum then I'll bet Petunia is perfectly healthy within a week at most." Draco was muttering to Dudley, even while watching the door.

Narcissa backed away immediately when Hermione moved over to the bed, casting an examination charm to learn the injuries Petunia suffered from and had suffered from recently, letting her take over the healing but staying near. "Stories later then. Mr Malfoy, Do you have healing potions on hand somewhere? I'll need them quickly when it gets to those stages. Mrs Malfoy, how much healing experience do you have? I could use a second pair of hands to help heal the internal bleeding and punctured lung. Draco can you and Dudley move away from the bed while I get to work. Perhaps you could wait with Harry in another room, or work together to make the skelegrow potion? She needs it to repair or regrow the shattered ribs, which might have to be vanished for her healing to leave no side effects. Harry, Please tell me this wasn't done by your Uncle. This much damage takes some rage and a lot of violence to achieve."

"I'll fetch any potions you need, just tell me which. We have skelegrow here already too." Lucius replied, tersely.

Narcissa moved to the opposite side of the bed to Hermione, replacing Draco and Dudley in that position. "I did the first year of a healers course before marrying Lucius and recapped it in a month every year since then." She revealed, a cold mask falling over her face as the mind-set to heal took over properly.

"I'll show Dudley to his room, and help get him settled as much as possible." Draco agreed, moving through the door with Harry's cousin.

Harry went pale at the seriousness of his Aunt's injuries hit him. "It was. He couldn't have had more than half an hour alone with her though. How could he do so much damage in such a short time?" He near whispered, before turning to follow Draco and Dudley.

Hermione listed 10 potions she needed straight away to Lucius before getting to work, giving Narcissa orders upon what spells and charms she should do while Hermione worked on the more complicated healing charms.

Lucius paused outside the room he knew would be for Dudley considering where Petunia was. "He seemed to start throwing things before finding a metal tool of some sort and hitting her repeatedly with it, not caring where he hit. We should think ourselves lucky she had her head defended from the time he threw the first thing at her." He muttered to Harry, saying what he had been able to tell of the situation when he arrived even as he knew there would be more explanations once Petunia was mostly healed.

Harry nodded turning back to Dudley automatically.

Once Lucius had carried on Draco shut the door, and looked like he would crumble in shock. Dudley still looked petrified with worry for his mother as he had since he realised just how injured she was. Harry was coming to terms with it quicker than either of them, having learnt early in life to be adaptable. "This would be a good time to have a television around so we can lose ourselves in some stupid sitcom or movie while coming to terms with what's happening." He said out loud.

"Yeah, but there are more important things than sorting a stupid TV out right now Harry." Dudley replied dully, "Like healing Mum."

Draco looked at Harry confused. "What's a tevelision?" He asked confused. "Would it work in the manor?"

Harry shrugged. "Lucius and I were going to try making one work here. A television is one of those muggle boxes where videos filmed miles away are broadcast to it somehow and pictures and sound of people are made into programmes. Dudley loved it when he was a kid."

"Would we be able to work it out? Is there one here?" Draco asked, thankful for something else to think on. He had never thought of any man beating up a woman let alone his wife. It wasn't something a gentleman or real man ever did and his Father insisted they were both whatever mistakes had been made.

"We could try, but having the advice of a muggle could really help if Dudley wants something to focus on while Hermione gets to work." Harry suggested, guessing at Draco's thought process.

Dudley shook himself. "So I can't go and get revenge on Dad for doing that?" He asked, anger now souring his voice.

"I could let Kreacher lose on him with a frying pan if you'd like? After getting him to fetch your television of course. Besides I think Lucius might already have punished him just a little before coming here. After Kreacher had turned up to heal and help him before you worry he wasn't helping Aunt Petunia as soon as he found her." Harry pointed out.

Dudley grinned, "Do that, and get a TV here and I'll help get it working"

"Kreacher!" Harry called. "Yes Master?"

"Do you still have that saucepan you attacked Mundungus with?" Harry asked with a grin.

Kreacher grinned back. "Of course Master."

"There's a man at the house you found Lucius and Aunt Petunia in who I've recently discovered has been grossly mistreating my family as well as insulting and attacking the essence of magic. I was wondering if you would like to have some practise with the saucepan on him, making sure he is healable enough that he can be taken through the muggle courts for all he is worth during the divorce process." Harry explained perfectly calmly. "Also, before attacking him with the saucepan, there's a television there which we would like to have brought here. It looks like this." Harry made a holographic image appear of a television, hoping that the Dursley's still had the same TV so it would be accurate enough for the house elf to fetch.

Kreacher bowed deeply. "I will bring it here immediately then punish the man for injuring your relatives, Master."

"Thank you Kreacher." Harry said, just before Kreacher popped out.

The television appeared in the room a few moments later, sent by Kreacher clearly, even if it was shocking that he could move it without apparating alongside it.

"That's a tevelision?" Draco asked, curiously inspecting the item, although still paler than usual.

"It's pronounced tell-ay-vision." Dudley sounded out with a smile, used to the odd half-blood or pure blood teacher getting the words for muggle things wrong. "And I've spotted a problem Harry."

"That they have no plug-points or electricity at all?" Harry agreed, looking around, but not as though he was searching. "I've been thinking about how to get things which usually run off electricity to run off magic and believe I found the basis of the idea, but it's a mixture of charms and base transfiguration which can change things as they pass through it."

"You'd need to charm the television so that it's adapters changed from switching the strength of electricity let through the transfiguring the magic into electricity." Draco mused, understanding Harry's thought process. "I studied that more closely than you did because changing type of energy with a spell was something I found more interesting than other parts of transfiguration and the charms mixing in with it only held my interest more. I have some books on the topic in my wing if you'd like to go there and help with the research."

Dudley shrugged, not minding where they did the research, and knowing he'd need to help since Harry only knew the basis of how televisions worked while visiting repair shops and scarp shops with his old televisions from his room had taught him quite a lot about them without meaning to. "If you think your books have the spells we'll need then by all means lead the way."

Harry only nodded to agree with his cousin when Draco looked at him to check his agreement.

The three teenagers headed to the wing Draco had reclaimed as his own after the war, and followed Draco straight into a small library, that Draco had formed in one of the smaller rooms.

That was where they stayed for the next hour or so while Hermione and Narcissa did all the healing they could for Petunia and Lucius ran errands to help them.


	5. Calling the Solicitor

It was half an hour before Lucius came to join the three boys in Draco's library, only nodding when they looked up before he took a seat and picked up a book to help with the research, guessing Harry had given them the challenge of getting a television to work.

"She's well on the way to full healing, and all the potions she needs have been given to her. Narcissa and Healer Granger are just finishing removing the shards of bone and casting the charm to begin knitting her punctured lungs together again." He explained at a questioning glance from Draco.

Harry was the one to reply though. "We'll leave explanations of what you know happened until Hermione and Narcissa can join us then. If it's alright with you, I'd like to leave for a while to give the house elves which you used to own orders to return and help with the manor now. I might also see what I can find about the Dursley's legal representation or arrange some for Petunia if need be."

"They had it joint together, but the solicitor always fought harder for the cases Mum had than for the cases Dad brought to him. I think Dad packed all the paperwork for it first so it would be one of the last things taken back to the house, if that's any help." Dudley explained looking up.

Harry nodded, then paused thinking for a moment "I should probably get Kreacher away from Uncle Vernon now. Do any of you have some orders for him?" He asked looking around.

"We would have given your relatives their own wing of the manor if more of it was still in living condition. Kreacher could be helpful doing some renovations on the areas that have fallen into disrepair." Draco suggested after a moment's thought, remembering his mother's first words upon hearing about their guests.

It had been a shock to have a house elf announce they were having Harry's relatives to stay by Lucius's suggestion, but Narcissa had still cried "We should put them in the Black's wing." It had been one of the most cheerful things she'd said in weeks, and Draco was hurt when they both remembered that the wing the Black family had once stayed in was now uninhabitable, making his mother's face fall into deep sorrow.

Harry simply nodded in understanding before walking back to the entrance hall to disapparate.

"Kreacher! Can you find the information on the Dursley's solicitor for me, then head over to the manor and start repairing the Black wing? Draco or Lucius should be able to show you where it is if you don't know." Harry called, walking into 4 Privet Drive once again.

"Yes Master, here's the paperwork I can find to do with legal affairs." Kreacher said a moment later, turning up in the hallway a moment after the clanging of a frying pan stopped.

Harry shook his head in amusement, reminding himself that house elves were long since established at summoning anything to do with a piece of information in an instant if their masters asked it of them, since not many purebloods had patience with the house elves they owned. "One more thing, make sure Uncle Vernon is conscious before you leave. I'll need to obliviate him of your appearance just in case he tries using it in court when Aunt Petunia divorces him."

"Does he need healing from any other injuries Master Harry?" Kreacher asked, only a little anxiously.

Harry paused before shrugging. "Only enough that I can make him think he fell down the stairs while storming about checking what Aunt Petunia had taken with her."

"Yes Master Harry, What about Mister Lucius's hexes? Do they need to be removed as much as I can?" Kreacher asked anxiously, knowing he couldn't remove much of the wizards work.

Harry thought for a moment. "Leave the hexes until I've found out what they are and what they do from Lucius. Then I'll likely sort them out myself. Thanks for fetching the paperwork for me." he decided.

"Good idea Master." Kreacher agreed before popping away.

Harry paused once Kreacher had gone before finding the number he'd need to call for his Aunt's solicitor and dialling the number.

The phone rang a few times before being picked up. "Hello, Marcus Green Solicitors, how can I help?" A female voice answered the phone.

"Hello, I'm calling on behalf of my aunt whom I believe is a client of yours and needs help in divorcing her husband" Harry explained quickly, not quite sure how to explain everything over the phone.

"What is your Aunt's name, may I ask? And why isn't she making the call herself?" The woman's voice asked.

"Petunia Dursley, maiden name Evans and she is currently unconscious and undergoing surgery to keep her alive with my private Doctors after being attacked by Vernon Dursley after her decision to leave and divorce him was announced."

"I'll put you through to Mr Green to explain what happened and where your Aunt currently is further." There was a click on the end of the line which Harry assumed was the switch between phones.

"Hello, Marcus Green here. I'm told you're calling for Mrs Dursley. What help can I be to her now?" The voice Harry heard now was cold and business like.

Harry cleared his throat. "I'm Harry Potter, Petunia's nephew. Aunt Petunia has been quite badly attacked by her husband Vernon Dursley after an argument where for her safety it was decided she should leave his home for a while along with my cousin because of the violence he had been displaying even around myself and a gentleman neither she nor my Uncle had met who was looking for me at their house. Before the attack which currently leaves her unconscious and under the care of private doctors I'm friends with she had expressed a wish to divorce Vernon along with leaving him. I am currently calling from their house on Privet drive because upon returning to the house to find the details to contact you I've found my uncle has fallen down the stairs, so need to wait until there is someone here more qualified to find out the extent of the damage he inflicted to himself by falling down the stairs. If you need my contact information I'll gladly provide you with it until it's possible for you to meet with Aunt Petunia to get her view upon what's happened."

"That sounds like quite the case you have for me, Harry Potter. Should I tell you right away that I do have connections with the magical world as I am a squib? Is there any further information that allows you to give me?" There was a note of wonder now in the voice of the solicitor.

Harry chuckled slightly. "The gentleman who witnessed the argument is Lucius Malfoy, and has taken my aunt and cousin to stay at Malfoy Manor for the time being and I believe got some revenge upon Vernon, which I haven't spoken to him about yet to see if it needs undoing for the case to be taken through the divorce courts or not. Also my house elf, Kreacher, is quite handy at attacking with a frying pan which accounts for Vernon's fall down the stairs although once I hang up from chatting to you that will be what my uncle believes happened. Hermione Granger is the healer helping my Aunt with the assistance of Lucius and Narcissa where needed since the injuries sustained in the short time Lucius and I left her alone at the house were extensive even though Vernon should have been stupefied for at least half the time there was between our leaving to fetch Dudley and Lucius returning for my aunt and their luggage." There was a pause in Harry's story while he took a breath and listened to something being typed into a computer. "Why does my Aunt have a squib solicitor? It seems a little odd for that to happen when connected to who I am." The added question had just occurred to him.

"Dumbledore thought they might need someone to cover for them if your accidental magic caused too many problems. Now, I'm going to start arranging for this to be a case for divorce as well as charges of domestic violence. If I could meet with you, your aunt and cousin in a few days to carry on arranging what needs doing, as well as dropping Vernon Dursley from my clientele. Just call if you have any more information and can you give me a number to contact you on to arrange the meeting?"

"Yes, My mobile number is 07394975715. I'll get the healers report and any other paperwork I think you'll need to you soon. Thanks for helping."

"I'll be in touch Mr potter." The phone disconnected and Harry just had to grin that the man hadn't reacted as a fan might have done, rather staying business like and gathering the information he needed to begin.

After that phone call it was the work of a minute to obliviate Vernon and convince him he'd fallen down the stairs and needed to go to A&E for his injuries before disappearing from Privet Drive for as long as he could manage it.

Then it was half an hour of sorting things out at Grimmauld Place and talking to the house elves which had once belonged to the Malfoy's about what was happening and why they were arranging so they worked there but still belonged to Harry. Heaven forbid Hermione started arguing with him about confusing the house elves Harry had over the changes he had to make for his family and to help the Malfoy's.

By the time he was back at the manor though Hermione and Narcissa had joined Lucius, Draco and Dudley in looking up ways to make the television work in the manor while they waited for him to get back so they could discuss what was happening now and what had happened, since Hermione would need telling just why they were at the Malfoy's when she had known Harry was moving his relatives back to Privet Drive just that morning.


	6. Explanations Over Dinner

"Why are we here Harry? And what happened to your Aunt?" Hermione asked as soon as Harry had sat down in Draco's library

"Uncle Vernon attacked her because she had decided to leave him at least for a while to come and stay with the Malfoy's on Lucius's invitation. We're here also because of that invitation as well as because it was Lucius who had returned to fetch Aunt Petunia and the luggage while I brought Dudley straight here." Harry replied, deciding to give the simplest explanation he could at first.

Hermione looked at him confused still about how the Malfoy's got involved with Harry's relatives in the first place, but Harry had turned away, only just realising how hungry he had become over the hours since he'd argued with Uncle Vernon that morning. "Narcissa, would we be able to stay for dinner, since it has been a best a hectic day and I doubt any of us had enough time to eat properly after joining the craziness getting Petunia and Dudley away from Uncle Vernon has caused." He asked politely, knowing there were still plenty of explanations going to be demanded by each of them.

"Good idea, it must be long past dinner time by now." Lucius agreed, but then paused. "And none of us has started cooking, explain while cooking?"

Harry grinned at that, looking at Dudley to share the amusement, since they both thought of how many times Harry cooked for the Dursley's before Hogwarts. "Well I might as well sort that out. I don't think I've cooked for Draco before, or my other childhood enemies and since that's what the Dursley's or most likely just Vernon always expected, you guys need cooking for. What do people want me to make?" Harry joked, quite certain that the Malfoy's hadn't had any experience in cooking before their house elves were taken away.

"If the saviour wants to cook for me who am I to argue? I'd like something Italian, a pasta of some sort." Draco drawled from where he was sat.

Dudley laughed a little. "Your lasagne was always fantastic. I'd like to see if you can still make it up to scratch."

"You can cook and you let me do it all while we were camping?" Hermione demanded, scowling at Harry.

"Ron was already jealous enough of my friendship with you, would you really have wanted him to argue with me over not being able to make good food out of what we managed to hunt out as well as over lack of information and you and whatever other ideas that thing brought out in his mind. Would you like to try the lasagne?" Harry threw back, knowing Hermione hadn't realised the meals she'd had with him at Grimmauld were made by him since the war was over, assuming Kreacher had made them or one of the other elves had.

"Fine." She was as near to pouting as Hermione ever got, to the amusement of everyone else in the room.

Narcissa grinned at Harry. "It's very kind for you to offer to cook for us, Harry. I'll show you the way to the kitchen, along with everyone else if we're having explanations while you cook."

"Lead the way Narcissa." Harry agreed, pretending he didn't hear the quips of Lucius, Draco and Hermione being made behind him.

"We're not going to get poisoned are we?"

"Does he even know the difference in how a wizards kitchen works compared to a muggle?

"This should be interesting!"

Dudley just looked at Harry's friend and the Malfoy males as they joked about his cooking skill. "He's been in this world for how long? And you're asking if he knows how to work in a wizards kitchen? He does have a kitchen in that house he inherited doesn't he? Surely I'd have been poisoned before he was 11 if he couldn't cook pretty well." He replied to the comments, remaining too quiet to be heard but finding himself a little defensive over the only talents Harry was allowed to have in Privet Drive before he got to Hogwarts.

By this time they were in the kitchen and Narcissa was giving Harry a quick briefing on where everything in the kitchen was found, as well as teaching him a small spell which sped up the slicing and preparing of the ingredients by removing the need to charm a knife to cut them, instead slicing them all in an instant.

Harry got straight to work on the lasagne once he'd been familiarised with the large kitchen while the others took seats around the table, close enough that Harry could explain and listen to explanations while he worked, using the occasional piece of magic to skip any waiting that could be avoided, such as the mince needing to be left for half an hour to cook.

"Since Hermione is probably the one who understands what's happening and why we're all here the least, I'll explain as much as I can for her first, but I'll also begin before Lucius arrived to explain just how the argument evolved." Harry began, looking over his shoulder at the table.

Hermione smiled at him, "Alright then, though I can guess that after a few explanations I'll need to explain what's wrong with Petunia and how long she'll take to heal." she agreed while others on the table just nodded and made vague noises of agreement.

Harry turned back to the cooking, staying quiet for a few moments to choose how to explain what was happening before he began. "Well, Hermione and Dudley at least know that my childhood wasn't ideal, with Uncle Vernon rarely using my name, and making me do as many of the chores as he decided I should be able to manage at whatever age I was. All of that was because of one thing he feared about me, my magic. His fear of it only grew when he came into contact with more of it. Dudley only learnt about magic at the same time as I did but he too was scared of it, probably a lot of that fear being due to Hagrid and the hex fired at him when Uncle Vernon insulted Dumbledore. The difference between Dudley's fear and Uncle Vernon's is that even though Dudley had more cause to be scared of magic since most Dursley payback from the magical world ended up falling on him, Dudley managed to get over his fear, and even begin accepting before I had to leave for the war. At this point I highly doubt Uncle Vernon will ever get over his fear and hatred of magic at all, but as long as my family and friends are safe from him I don't really mind."

"It was Dudley's choice that decided they were going to hide for the war as well. The order hid them as well as multiple muggleborns and ran small schools which Dudley was allowed to attend where the main magic taught was all defensive alongside muggle lessons which from what I've been told were learnt by students and teachers alike at the same time if no parents were free to help the children learn a subject. I know none of that is a direct explanation of what happened today but it's the background for what happened as I can work it out." Harry paused, looking at the Malfoy's, Dudley and Hermione for a moment, before turning back to begin layering the mince, lasagne slices and sauces into a dish, thankful once again that magic made cooking so much quicker.

Dudley was smiling at Harry, remembering their past and the forgiveness that had sort of been exchanged between them on the day they all left Privet Drive to try and outlive the war. "You forgot to mention my mum was jealous of the magic you and your mother had, and blamed it for Lily dying." He pointed out.

"I think most of us knew at least through a guess why Petunia would dislike it. Now to get back to what happened today." Draco replied, turning to face Dudley for a moment before watching Harry again, who had taken the pause to get a glass of water after putting the assembled lasagne into the oven to bake.

Sitting down Harry continued. "This morning I finally got a day off from ministry events, funerals, grieving and helping with Teddy to come and help my relatives move back into Privet Drive. Aunt Petunia and Dudley surprised me a little when the first words they said to me were "Sorry for treating you badly because of your magic." Unfortunately that moment was spoiled by Uncle Vernon barging into the room with the fireplace I flooed to and demanding "Well, Boy, can we move away from these freaks already or are you here to say we have to stay even longer even though reports say the war is over?" That comment made me realise that Uncle Vernon still thought of me as little more than the slave he treated me as while I was growing up and made me want to argue and prove to him that he was wrong, both about me and about magic. I'm honestly surprised we weren't in an argument before the afternoon, and can only assume the reason for that is because most of the morning Aunt Petunia kept Uncle Vernon busy packing boxes in their room, insisting all their ornaments and pictures must be wrapped very carefully so that I, Hestia and Dedalus could use magic to pack the rest of their things into boxes. I think it was while we were still doing that, that Dudley went to visit Dennis Creevey, one of his muggleborn friends through the school, Hermione." Harry added in the extra information seeing Hermione's curiosity and grief over Colin flair in her eyes.

"It was when Uncle Vernon made a sarcastic comment about how long it took me to end the war that the argument really started. Up until then I'd assumed that Hestia and Dedalus would have kept the Dursley's up to date with the big changes in the war, or at least told them when it was over, and Aunt Petunia seemed at least to know it has been over for the last few months. The thing I missed or misunderstood was when I mentioned that it had been over for a while before seeing my Aunt shaking her head at me in worry, just behind Uncle Vernon. The argument grew from that point on, with my Uncle quite insistent that I should have made returning them to Privet Drive a number one priority to be done the minute the war was over and refusing to listen to logic, rationality, or common sense, and only shouting louder whenever I managed to shout something back at him in one of the pauses he had to make for breathing. Lucius arrived just when Aunt Petunia attempted to calm Uncle Vernon down I believe, but waited to get involved for a few moments, assessing the situation."

Further explanation of Lucius's involvement, the days events and the decisions each person made took at least another half hour, with Harry and Lucius answering most of the questions and explaining the most while Dudley helped out and filled them in on some points simply confirming others for the shocked Hermione, Narcissa and Draco.

"I think we've explained all that we can." Harry eventually decided, before turning to Hermione. "Would you be able to explain at least what the worst of Aunt Petunia's condition is and how long she should take to heal in the wizarding world, as well as how long it would take in the muggle world? I'll leave explaining about their solicitor for tomorrow now."

Hermione nodded, pulling some notes out of her pocket which detailed for her what was wrong with Harry's aunt although not many others would have been able to understand them without her help, or the help of Harry and Ron since they'd known her for long enough to understand how she took notes. "Well, the worst of her condition was the punctured lung, and the seven shattered ribs around them. Te internal bleeding was also extremely bad, but luckily there's a potion that we were able to use to stop that and heal it within minutes of patching the punctured lung." Hermione began, her face falling into a lecture mode Harry remembered from Hogwarts, although he'd never been quite as focused as he was now when he'd seen it before.

"There were also a few head injuries, but the worst of those was a concussion which should heal while she sleeps tonight and shouldn't have affected her memory or brain at all, although we cannot be certain of that until she has woken up. Other than those injuries, Petunia has a few deep cuts seemingly from a knife and multiple fractured bones from the beating she got before the knife came into it. From what her injuries tell Petunia was beaten with fists long before Vernon decided upon using the knife and we should be grateful that Mr Malfoy arrived when he did otherwise her death would have become a certainty however skilled I may be."

"In the muggle world, Harry, Dudley, Your Aunt would have died eventually or lived an extremely painful disadvantaged life. I think that if you are serious about taking Vernon to court then you have to at least have him charged with manslaughter, if you cannot manage domestic abuse with intent to kill. Being in the wizarding world as we are, the punctured lung will take about a fortnight to completely heal, and the shattered ribs which have had to be vanished will take at least three days to regrow. The head injuries are all either healed or will be by the time she wakes and Narcissa helped me with healing all of the cuts and fractured bones before we gave her the dreamless sleep."

"I'm not going to let her out of bed except for the bathroom for the next week however, and for the next three days I want her under as constant supervision as she will allow. Even after the week has passed she should avoid strenuous activity and rest as much as possible until everything has healed back to normal standards." Hermione concluded her report on Petunia's health quite quickly, aware of the time and that there was at least one explanation of Lucius's left to listen to. She also kept her explanation short because she doubted the interest of the others if she explained too in depth.

Dudley and Harry nodded, both pale and worrying about Petunia now, glancing at each other as it sunk in just how close they had come to losing a mother and aunt. "Thank you for telling us and doing all you have, Hermione, Narcissa. Lucius, can we ask what you did to my father when you found him attacking Mum?" Dudley asked quietly, looking at the people he named as he said their names. His gratefulness for them saving his mothers life shining through his eyes, along with the desire for his father to be punished when he faced Lucius.

The head of the Malfoy family shifted as attention returned to him, but soon settled into having their attention again, even with the last explanation having shocked him and put him off stride. "My first reaction upon finding Dursley with a knife raised to his wife was shouting and distracting him, getting myself between Dursley and Petunia so knocking him unconscious would leave no risk to her. Then, I was focused on remembering and using what healing I could to help Petunia and keep her alive until I worked out a way to get her professional help. Harry and Dudley's instincts making him send Kreacher to help me was the best thing to happen. While Kreacher was doing what he could for Petunia, I cast a curse on Mr Dursley that I learnt during my time as a death eater, although never used since it is only just not dark magic. It makes him remember and experience some of what he did in violence for an hour every night, and that's every single thing that Dursley has done of a violent nature being turned back on him. He'll watch it happening, with the pain he caused being inflicted on him as he watches it, at the same time every night, until I decide to lift it or he dies."

"Will he keep the injuries which had caused the pain when not being forced to remember them or would they only hurt him while in the memories?" Harry asked curiously, wanting to know more about his uncles punishment.

Lucius shrugged, uncaringly. "The book I learnt the spell from wasn't clear on that point, so I'm not sure whether it does or doesn't, however I do hope that even if the injuries he'll feel like he has in the memories do not stay when he isn't in them that the pain at least does."

Dudley grinned between his cousin and the blonde man, "Then thank you for seeing my father receive at least some punishment for the horrors he's done." He stated, if not happily then contentedly.

Soon after the explanations were done, Narcissa jumped up and ushered the 3 guests at Malfoy manor into spare rooms, arranging Harry and Hermione beds to sleep in quickly with their help as she insisted they stay over at least while Petunia could need Hermione to check on her at any time of day or night.


End file.
